Fluvial Landscape and Land Utilization in Dentam Khola Basin - A Case Study of Sikkim Himalaya

The main thrust of present paper is fluvial landscape and related land utilization patterns, problems, management of a micro basin of Sikkim Himalaya, namely Dentam Khola basin, situated in the western part of the Sikkim state of India. Hence, it is a micro level geo-scientific analysis of land utilization and related problems on a mountainous terrain influenced by both tectonic and fluvial activities and related land use planning through proper land use development with technological advancement and human interferences. This basin represents an ample scope to study the landforms and processes related to existing fluvial landscape which influence the distribution of land resources, land uses and their problems depending on topographic variation, soil fertility and others. Proper land use planning and development strategies should be adopted for the socio-economic betterment by technological advancement specially in agriculture maintaining the ecological sustainability in this Sikkim Himalayan mountainous terrain.